Free yoga, zumba and more coming to this city’s main street

Coral Gables is encouraging residents and business people in the downtown area to get a little exercise after work on Miracle Mile.

The city launched the Wellness Wednesday series this week and has planned weekly fitness events from 6 to 7 p.m. on a vacant lot at 150 Miracle Mile, between Barnes and Noble and BurgerFi.

The new initiative is one of a few planned events the city’s economic development department and the Business Improvement District have organized to draw visitors to Miracle Mile and downtown Gables as streetscape construction continues and affects local businesses. City leaders have also considered throwing block parties to celebrate as each block of streetscape construction is completed on the Mile.

The courses are free and are scheduled to take place every week until the end of May 2017. They will alternate between yoga, zumba and boot camp classes. Participants in the yoga classes are asked to bring their own mat or towel. Coral Gables has partnered with the Green Monkey yoga studio to lead the courses.

Classes will not take place the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and on the Wednesdays before and after Christmas Day. The courses were set to start Oct. 5 but were postponed due to Hurricane Matthew.